[Prompt, Do you listen to your partner?]

*

"How are you feeling today?"

"How do I look?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"No, not really."

"Good. Let's start again. How are you feeling today?"

"Tired."

"Tired?"

"I'm not sleeping."

"Say a bit more about that."

"I can't sleep. I don't know what I'm supposed to say about that."

"How is it affecting you?"

"I can't focus. I can see people are talking to me, but their words don't enter my head."

"You're having a hard time listening."

"Yes, I guess."

"And you think that's because you can't sleep."

"What?"

"Have you always had a hard time listening? That is, before the not sleeping."

"I need something to help me sleep."

"You said that."

"I know."

"About the having a hard time listening thing…"

"What about it?"

"You think that began when you started having problems with sleep?"

"I don't know."

"You seem like a man who probabl y knows."

"I'm a good listener."

"That's good."

"It's my job, to listen to people, to figure out what they're really saying."

"Oh."

"What the hell does 'oh' mean?"

"It's interesting how you put that. That's not actually very good listening. When people are talking, you are thinking about what they really mean. It makes it kind of hard to listen."

"What?"

"If you're thinking, you're probably projecting your thoughts into their words, you are figuring, perhaps not exactly listening."

"I'm talking about interrogating suspects."

"I know that. Are you a good listener when you're not in cop mode?"

"What?"

"Are you always thinking about what someone might really mean instead of simply listening to them. Like take your partner for example…"

"I'm not talking about her."

"I know. I am. Does she think you're a good listener?"

"I don't know, ask her."

"I'm asking you."

"She doesn't exactly talk a lot."

"When she does talk, do you listen to what she's saying?"

"I try." He hedges, thinking about all the times recently he hasn't wanted to hear what he thinks she has to say.

"That's good. It's important to work on the things we do not think we're good at."

"I just need something to help me sleep."

"I know."

"Good, so you'll give me something."

"We'll get to that."